Electric high-water alarm.



E. E. BRACKETT.

ELECTRIC HIGH WATER ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1909.

987,694. Patented Mar. 28,1911.

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E. E. BRAGKETT.

ELECTRIC HIGH WATER ALARM.

APRLIOATION TILED JULY 14, 1909.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

2 BEEBTHAHEM 2.

Edwin E .Bracketi' UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN E. BRACKETT, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND.

ELECTRIC HIGH-WATER ALARM.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN E. Bimoiin'r'r,

a citizen of the United States, residing at lentral F ails, in thecounty of Providence, State of lthode Island, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Electric Highater Alarms; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto w iich itappcrtains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to electric alarms and has special reference to aform of switch adapted to be used with electrically operated high wateralarms.

One object of the invention is to provide a switch of sensitive naturewhich shall. be free from liability of sticking or lodging until thewater has reached the height for which the alarm is intended.

.AllOtllGi object of the invention is to im-' prove the generalconstruction and simplify switches of this character.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists ingeneral of a novel form of knife switch adapted to be used in connectionwith high water alarm.

The invention further consists in certain novel details of constructionand combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and specifically set forth in the claims.

in the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and Figure 1 is a side elevation partlydiagrammatic of a switch of this character used in connection with arefrigerator and its water pan. F ig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the switch. Fig. 4. is alongitudinal median section through the invention. Fig. 5 is a sectionon the line 55 of Fig. 4-. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig.4;.

The numeral 10 indicates the bottom of a refrigerator and at 11 is shownthe ordinary water pan employed to collect the water which forms by themelting of the ice in the refrigerator. Secured t0 the bottom of therefrigerator is a pair of spaced brackets 12 which carry a panel 13provided with a longitudinal centrally disposed slot 14:. Adjacent oneend of the slot 14 is a downwardly dependingUshaped member 15 preferablytermed the fulcrum loop. This U-shaped member 15 is provided withoppositely ex- I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 14, 1909.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Serial No. 507,625.

tending feet 16 which are attached to the under side of the panel 18 andthrough the sides of the member 15 extends the stem 17 of a bindingpost, the head of which is indicated at 18. Suspended from the panel 13opposite the other end of the slot lt is a pair of blocks 19 andsuspended from these blocks is a stop loop 20 of U-shape. This step loopis provided with feet 21 for the purpose of attaching the stop loop tothe blocks 19. Extending through the sides of the stop loop 20 is thestem of a. binding post 22, the head whereof is indicated at 23.Pivotally mounted on the stem 17 is a lever 24 and this lever is of lessthickness than the space between the sides of the iembers 15 and 20 sothat the lever is freely slidable between these members, and thatwithout friction on the side walls thereof. This lever 24: is providedwith a suitable counterweight 25 for the purpose of normally urging thelever to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The end ofthis lever is provided with a suitable aperture 26 for the purpose ofreceiving one end of a chain 27 the opposite end of which is attached toa hollow ball 28 adapted to act as a float and to rest upon the top ofthe water contained in the pan 11.

From an inspection of Fig. 1 it will be seen that the bight portion ofthe fulcrum loop 15 engages the end of the lever 24 to which the ball 28is attached when this end is depressed so that said bight portion limitsthe movement of the lever in one direction.

At 29 is indicated an ordinary electric bell and this bell is located inany preferred relation to the pan 11 and refrigerator bottom 10. Forinstance, the bell may be carried up to a room occupied by servants ormay be located on the side of the refrigerator as is deemed best adaptedfor the purpose. Adjacent the bell 29 is a one point switch 80 and at 31is indicated a battery. From the binding post 22 a wire 32 extends tothe battery 31 and from the battery 31 a wire 38 extends to the pivotpole of the switch while from the contact of this switch a wire 34extends to one of the binding posts of the bell and a wire 35 extendsfrom the opposite binding post of said bell to the binding post 17.

Then the water is low in the pan 11 the float 28 assumes the positionindicated in full lines in Fig. 1 but as the water rises the floatgradually rises with the water until finally the lever 2i assumes theposition shown in dotted lines in that figure. It is to be noted that,by reason of the lever being of less width than the space between thesides of the members and 20, the lever is very freely movable on thestem 17 so that there is no danger of its jamming or hanging up duringthe downward movement of the weighted end. \Vhen the weighted endcontacts with the stem 22 a circuit is completed from the battery 31through the wire stem 22, lever 2 1, stem 17, wire 35, bell 29, wire 3%,switch and wire 33 back to the battery 31. hen the circuit justdescribed has been established the bell 29 rings and will continue toring until the attendant empties the pan ll when the lever 27L willreassume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

By reason of this construction the lever 24- is positive in its actionand will not hang up and fail to establish the circuit with theconsequent liability of overflowing of the pan or tank 11.

There has thus been provided a simple and eflicient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a device of the kind described, a switch including a panel, afulcrum loop suspended therefrom, a binding post provided with a stemextending across said loop, a lever pivoted on said stem, said leverhaving one end adapted to contact with the bight portion of the fulcrumloop to limit the movement of the lever in one direction, and

having one end adapted to contact with the bight portion of the fulcrumloop to limit the movement of the lever in one direction, a guide loopsuspended from said panel to guide the end of said lever, and a secondbinding post having its stem extending across the second guide loop andlying in the path of said l ver end.

3. In a device of the kind described, a switch including a panel, afulcrum loop suspended therefrom, a binding post provided with a stemextending across said loop, a lever pivoted on said stem, said leverhaving one end adapted to contact with the bight portion of the fulcrmnloop to limit the movement of the lever in one direction, and a secondbinding post having its stem in the path of the lever end, said panelbeing provided with a slot to receive and guide the end of said lever,and the space between the sides of said loop being greater than thethickness of said lever.

4. In a device of the kind described, a switch including a panel, afulcrum loop suspended therefrom, a binding post provided with a stemextenoing across said loop, a lever pivoted on said stem, said leverhaving one end adapted to contact with the bi'ght portion of the fulcrumloop to limit the movement of the lever in one direction, a guide loopsuspended from said panel to guide the end of said lever, and a secondbinding post having its stem extending across the second guide loop,said panel being provided with a slot to receive and guide the end ofsaidlever, and the spaces between the sides of said loops being greaterthan the thickness of said lever.

In testimony whereof, I atlix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

, EDVIN E. BRACKETT.

itnesses:

Crmnnns M. READ, Vnno T. Pom).

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

